About us

Who we are

We are Relational Mission, a family of churches

Together we preach Christ, and plant and strengthen churches to the ends of the earth.

We named our family ‘Relational Mission’ as we felt it combined the two key elements we felt shine through in New Testament apostolic ministry, relationship and mission.

Relationship without mission becomes inward, static and soon deteriorates into decline.

Mission without relationship becomes driven, functional and can make the gospel itself unappealing. God wants a family on mission with him, hence our name.

We are a family of 75+ churches based in the UK, mainland Europe and increasingly across the globe, led by a team of three apostles. Our movement is marked by a unique way of life that includes prayer, church planting momentum and authentic relationship.

A way of life

Our history

Where we’ve come from

Relational Mission is part of Newfrontiers, a group of apostles who, together with their teams and churches, are united on global mission and by core values and genuine relationships.

Our roots

In July 2011, Newfrontiers - then a network of some 800 evangelical, charismatic churches in 50 or so different nations - held what was to be its last leadership conference. At that conference Terry Virgo, who had pioneered and led the movement to that point, commissioned those that he recognised as apostles to begin to form their own networks of churches - read more about that here - and 15 or so men were recognised as the next generation of apostles in their own right. All of the churches of Newfrontiers were then encouraged to align themselves with one or other of these apostles.

Get an overview of changes to Newfrontiers that brought Relational Mission into being in this video.

What was once a single network is now a ‘network of networks’; each one encouraged to assume its own identity and priorities whilst seeking to retain shared values, vision, purposes and relationships. One of the men whom Terry recognised as an apostle was Mike Betts, who went on to gather his own family of churches which we know today as Relational Mission.

Continued growth

In the first ten years of its existence we grew as a family of churches, hosting many events and conferences, sending out pioneers to plant new churches across the UK and Europe, and launching several training courses. We also launched many important initiatives including Pathways from Poverty, ENOUGH/Prayers of Many and Acts of Courage. It was also a time in which we laid the groundwork for our expression as a family of churches, explored in detail in Mike Betts’ book, RM: A Way of Life.

Our future: One family, one vision - three Apostles

Where we are headed

In recent years there have been important changes to the shape of Relational Mission

Transition

In 2018, Mike Betts recognised Stef Liston and Maurice Nightingale as fellow apostles, co-leading our family of churches together. In 2019, they introduced our vision. There is still a core of activity that they are doing altogether, but additionally each apostle is breaking into new fields of mission.

Relational Mission, now led by a team of Apostles (from left): Mike Betts, Maurice Nightingale and Stef Liston

One sphere - many communities

In 2021, the apostles appointed Community Leaders from amongst our churches to bring leadership and care to groups of churches within the Relational Mission family, called Communities.

Many churches especially in the UK are now part of a Relational Mission Community. These groups of churches regularly join together for corporate prayer, leaders meetings and pioneering activities. In the past year many will have taken part in a local ENOUGH prayer night with others in their Communities.

September 2021: Commissioning 5 of our new Community Leaders at UK Prayer and Fasting

A new way of advancing the kingdom

The core activity that we do altogether is served by our team, including Vicky Tyce and Alison Sutton (finance and governance), Tuuli Platner (Media and Comms) and Jon Beardon (RM Co-ordinator).

In our very flexible way of working each apostle is also developing structures and teams that best serve their unique mission. Not all of their workers are employed directly by Relational Mission, though some are - such as Annice Green, who works as a part of Mike Bett’s core team on ministry development.

In addition, each apostle is developing structures for enabling their mission and raising the support that this requires. Supporting this dispersed way of working currently are Kit Green, James Taylor and Annice Green, principally assisting Stef, Maurice and Mike respectively, in varying capacities.

With all these changes there is often a time of adjustment, but we are truly hope-filled and excited for the next step of our journey as a family on mission.

Blogging our transition | who’s who at Relational Mission

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vision & values

Who's who

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FAQ

Q:

Does Relational Mission have a statement of faith?

A:

Relational Mission does not have a statement of faith or a confession of faith. The bible rightly applied interpreted and applied is our statement of faith and confession. However we do recognise, uphold, agree and identify with ecumenical Evangelical and catholic church orthodoxy. As expressed in various of the major creedal statements of faith. “As part of the universal church, we hold to the ecumenical creeds (the Apostles’, Nicene- Constantinopolitan, Chalcedonian and Athanasian Creeds). As Protestant Christians, we affirm that justification is by faith alone, and stand in the tradition of Reformation confessional documents like the Heidelberg Catechism, although we believe water baptism is only for believers. As contemporary evangelicals, we also affirm modern statements such as the Lausanne Covenant and the Evangelical Alliance (UK Charity) statement of faith.”

Have further questions?

This section of our website will be updated with answers to questions that we are regularly asked. Please contact us if you have any specific questions not covered by this section.